Joy and Forbearance

Transcript

GR 639
3/27/1983
Joy and Forbearance
Philippians 4:4,5
Gil Rugh

Book of Philippians in your Bibles; Book of Philippians and the Fourth Chapter, while we are not going to be focusing attention on the events of Palm Sunday in our study today, I think the section that we’re going to be looking at is very significant in connection with the events that are taking place to celebrate Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, focal point of the crucifixion of Christ, because what is going on in the section that we are going to be looking in this morning and in coming weeks in Philippians Chapter 4 is what Jesus Christ has in fact accomplished for us in his death and resurrection, and the benefits that we have as a result of his finished work.

In our last study together, we looked at verses 2 and 3 focusing attention upon two individuals who had a conflict in the church at Philippi, and how that was to be resolved; that they as the two parties were to resolve that conflict and live in harmony. At the same time the other members of the body were to channel their energy to helping resolve that conflict because we have as a goal as believers the expression of the unity that we have in Christ in our relationships with one another, so that any factions and divisions misrepresent the relationship that we have with Christ and with one another.

Verse 3, true comrade I ask you to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the Gospel. The conflicting parties were two ladies. They had been instrumental being used by God in a special way in the battle for the Gospel at Philippi, but now disagreement had crept in and it was of utmost importance that the other believers at Philippi join together in helping resolve this difficulty. So that again all the energies could be channeled into the battle for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, at verse 4 and down through verse 9, Paul is turning his attention to personal matters relating the emotional, the mental, the spiritual well being of the Philippian believers. Paul intends, I think this is why the section is so crucial, Paul intends for us as believers to have emotional and mental wellbeing. Now we could encompass that with spiritual being, but I want to be sure that we realize, we’re focusing in on the inner man, on the mental condition of the believer, and God intends for me to be healthy spiritually; healthy mentally if you will, emotionally, and verses 4 to 9 center in on that very area, I call it the emotional wellbeing of the believer, and we see what God has provided for us in Christ.

There’s a series of commands that we’ll be looking at in a series of studies; at least six given down through these 9 verses. Let me just note them for you. In verse 4, rejoice always or be rejoicing always. Verse 5; let your forbearing spirit be known. Verse 6, do not be anxious; at the end of verse 6, make your requests known to God. Verse 8; the end of verse 8, let your mind dwell on these things, think on these things, and verse 9, practice these things. And the series of six commands given by Paul all relate to us having the kind of spiritual light that God intends for us, that God has provided for us in Christ will see as we work through this.

It’s not a matter of us developing this on our own, but it’s the development of that which God has provided and we’re talking about the healthy development of the child of God in every area, and the focus of our mind and that area of our activity will become key. We’re going to focus on verses 4 and 5, which give us two commands in our study today, and we’ll focus on the area of the joy and happiness that God intends for us, and then the kind of spirit that we are to manifest to one another in reflection of the character of Christ.

Let’s have a word of prayer before we look at the details. Father we praise you again this morning for such a wonderful savior or to even the events that are being celebrated at this time of year, events that are significant father to us as your children every day of every year. We praise you for a savior who came to earth and might give us life a ransom for many. Lord we thank you for our salvation in him in the completeness of that salvation. We look into this portion of the word this morning, father give us an understanding mind; may the spirit minister to each one of us according to our needs. Fill us with the joy that we’re talking about. Father may the forbearing spirit of Christ himself be evident in all of our activities and all of our relationships. Above all, our desire is that this service, honor you and exult Jesus Christ in his name we pray, Amen.

Focal point in verse 4 is on joy. Be rejoicing in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice. That’s a present imperative, a command given in the present tense, so we could translate it, keep on rejoicing always. And to me that’s an exciting verse, because it indicates that it is God’s intention that his children be happy. God intends that his people be a happy people, a joyous people. Now that’s simple; again I think it has a lots contained in it. And we live in a day when people are depressed and discouraged disheartened, but you notice God’s intention; in fact it’s given as a command, not a recommendation, not an encouragement, but a command; keep on rejoicing always. That means in what we call downtimes; that means in what we call uptimes.

It means when things are going our way so to speak, it means when things are not going our way so to speak. I say so to speak, because the plans and purposes of God for his children are never frustrated. And I sometimes lose sight of that and get discouraged. I get concerned about world events, and the course of the economy, the course of the nations of the world, and all the things pressing upon us, and here I am reminded by the Apostle of God Paul, who is in prison as he writes, keep on rejoicing all the time.

I’m glad Paul wrote that, God inspired him to write it while he was in prison, because if he had just came off a successful church planning ministry in a certain town or city; we’d say, well he was you know up here, but he has been confined in prison on trial for his life for no other reason that he represented Jesus Christ faithfully; he proclaimed the Gospel and that antagonized people. And in the midst of that his proclamation is, keep on rejoicing.

We’ve looked several times at the repeated emphasis on joy and rejoicing through the Book of Philippians. So we’re not going to do that again, but I do want to take time and look through a series of Scriptures with you that give different emphasis on our joy as God’s children. I’d encourage you take a concordant sometime, because we’re just going to pull out a few representative verses.

And look up joy and rejoicing, and make a list and just read through those verses. Just reading them through will make an impact on you. There are a number of verses for joy and rejoicing and happiness used in Scripture. Now we’re going to be focusing basically on two words, the noun and a verb; the verb which we have here in verse 4; chairo this word with its noun and verb are used over a hundred times alone in the New Testament, so strong emphasis on joy in the believer’s life, on rejoicing in the believer’s life.

Let’s go back to the Old Testament, the Book of Nehemiah. Maybe I should say something to be honest; I think that being an unhappy Christian is a contradiction. If I’m being the Christian that God wants me to be, I’ll be characterized by joy. Now as we’re going to see in these passages, that doesn’t mean there will never be weeping, that doesn’t mean there’s never sorrow, but it does mean in the midst of all that I do have joy. There is something distinctly unbiblical about what we would call a Sarkikos Christian. And I realize some of us by birth or by practice whatever, I’ll blame as much of it on birth as possible, tend to look more serious, more stern, more unhappy, if you will. Now it’s interesting to be in my position.

Now you are all looking at me, but I’m looking at you all as well, and it’s interesting how we manifest our emotions or express ourselves. Now there are people that I am not sure if I’ve ever seen smile on a Sunday morning at Indian Hills. Now that maybe that you have to sit and look at me, I don’t know, but no matter what is said, what is done; the look is the same. And sometimes if everybody laughs they will breakdown like this. Like they are looking around, oh they are laughing.

Now they may be laughing on the inside and perhaps by birth their corners of their mouth are heavy. And I am not saying whether you smile a lot or don’t is the indication of your spiritual life, but if you don’t have joy it’s an indication that something is wrong in the spiritual life, and it wouldn’t hurt us to express it now and then, and I say that being a person quite honestly, that people sometimes they smile, it can’t be that bad and, I need to work on that, my wife will be happy, if I smile more.

We are in Nehemiah Chapter 8, verse 10, did I tell you Nehemiah, okay; it was easier before I was forties, but now; Nehemiah Chapter 8, verse 10, verse 9 for the background. Then Nehemiah who was the governor and Ezra the priest and the scribe and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord your God, do not mourn or weep for all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, go eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, send portions to him who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to the Lord. Do not be grieved. Note this last statement, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

The joy of the Lord is your strength, and that’s a key element that will pervade everything else we read about joy, that God gives his people joy, and that is the strength for his people. I’ll experience that strength while imprisoned, that he had the joy of the Lord in the midst of sorrow, in the midst of weeping, and in the midst of heartache.

Now turn over to the Book of Proverbs; just after the Book of Psalms, the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 15; It’s interesting to me how medically sound the Bible is. I wouldn’t expect it to be any other way, but things we’re talking about today as relatively new discoveries; the Bible has been talking about for centuries. In Proverbs 15, verse 13; a joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad the spirit is broken. You know if there’s to be an expression of joy that flows from our hearts in our face, people ought to see reflected the joy of the Lord. When the heart is sad the spirit is broken. Sad heart affects your entire being, your entire person.

Look over just a couple of pages to Chapter 17 of Proverbs verse 22; a joyful heart is good medicine or literally causes good healing as you have it in the margin, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. And we’ve come to appreciate that more just generally today, where they talk about the importance of a good attitude, happiness, and joy in the life, and even a person’s happiness and joy affects somewhat his susceptibility, in ways not totally understood to diseases of certain kinds. Well here the Bible has told us, a joyful heart is good medicine, a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Now this becomes key; we’re going to move over to some passages in the New Testament, because it not only becomes a personal matter, but it becomes a corporate matter. Not only does it affect you and your personal health and wellbeing as you drop on the joy that God gives and find that expression throughout your life, but it affects the way the church of Jesus Christ functions. A people who are joyful, happy Christians if you will, are much less apt to be critical and divisive.

You find a Christian who is if you will, bubbling, who has the joy of the Lord and expresses that in a sincere way now I am talking, not the superficiality that sometimes is there. But the true joy that finds its expression. You do not find in the same person a critical bitter divisive spirit. You know that affects in our lives personally, in our families, in our homes. Husband and wife say it, you have a hard day at work and you’re down, you’re discouraged, you’re blue so to speak, what happens; you come home and you’re irritated by what your wife says or about what the kids do or the wife has a hard day at home, things don’t go right, she’s discouraged, depressed about things, her husband comes home and what; he doesn’t do what he should or she misinterpreted and there is divisiveness.

But when you are joyful and happy these things go right by, they don’t bother you at all. They seem minor and you can pass right over them. The kids can’t do things and that doesn’t get on your nerves at all. So when you’re down and discouraged, what happens, it grates on you; that happens in the body of Christ as well. If we’re not enjoying the joy of the Lord and expressing that, you know what; other Christians get on your nerves, and the way things are done in that church, it gets on your nerves and what people do or don’t do it’s on your nerves, it grates on you.

You know the real problem, the lack of the joy of the Lord, because when I am enjoying the Lord and his joy, those things don’t bother me at all. I can smile through it and they see minor and incidental. But when I’m not allowing that joy to be expressed in my life, they just grate on and the longer that goes on, the more the division grows and the bitterness develops. So this is crucial in whole area as a harmony that we are to be representing and manifesting as a body.

Come over to John 16, John Chapter 16; as Jesus contemplates his coming crucifixion. Verse 20; truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. The example, whenever a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come, but when she gives birth to the child she remembers the anguish no more for joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.

You note that after the events of the crucifixion, the resurrection and the manifestation that Jesus Christ has been raised, he is alive, no one takes the joy of the believer away, because I have the full confidence and these disciples had it after their confrontation with the resurrected Christ, that Jesus Christ is alive; he is my redeemer and he lives, and the joy that I have in that relationship with him is permanent and eternal. That is mine and I don’t always draw upon it and manifest it to my loss, but no one can take my joy away from me, that’s encouraging. The means, not the circumstances, not the trials and tribulations of this life, not personal problems, none of these things can take away his joy that he gives me. That is inseparably linked to my relationship with him and the joy that I have is based solely on that relationship that I have with Christ. That’s why it’s not affected by the events of this life; even though I can be caused certain sorrow in this life, I have joy through those sorrows.

Turn over to Second Corinthians Chapter 7; Paul talks about this idea of joy and affliction. Second Corinthians Chapter 7 verse 4; great is my confidence in you great is my boasting on your behalf, I am filled with comfort, I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. Now that’s amazing. Overflowing with joy, I have more joy that I can contain in all our affliction. You see the affliction has not affected the joy that he has in the Lord. It may cause tears, it may cause sorrow in one dimension, but the basic joy that comes in that relationship that he has with Christ is permanent and unaffected.

Look in Chapter 8 of Second Corinthians. The Macedonians here and in verse 2, that in a great ordeal of affliction; note this, they were in a great ordeal of affliction. Their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. You know they had an abundance of joy while they were going through an ordeal of affliction. You know with that abundance of joy even in affliction did, it moved them to a godly concern for others, and thus a ministry to them, here particularly in a financial area. I think that’s significant. With godly joy that moved them even in the midst of hardship to godly concern for others.

You know what happens when you don’t allow the joy of the Lord to be manifest in your life and you go through hard times; you’re not concerned for others, you’re concerned for yourself, and bitterness developed. I was having this trouble and no one ministered to me, I was having these problems and nobody cared about me. Here the Macedonians going through a great ordeal of affliction, you know what they have; they have a godly concern for the Corinthians, for other believers, for the poor at Jerusalem, the focal point here. They weren’t taken up with themselves that’s what the joy does in our life; it gives us God’s perspective of things. You can see how it begins to affect our relationships with one another and this joy than we are concerned about our ministry to others.

Turn back to the Book of Hebrews. Quite a few verses this morning, but I think it’s important that we see the emphasis and impact what God says about this joy that is ours. Hebrews Chapter 10; we talk about affliction in the Macedonians; we’re going to see with the Hebrews as well. I am often impressed that those believers that manifest the greatest joy and whose joy is most clearly expressed are those Christians, who have endured the greatest hardships. Ever see a Christian who has such a glowing testimony and you say, boy I just don’t know how they do it with all they’ve been through and all they’re going through. And so often the case that the easier the road is for us, so to speak, the gloomier we are, because we failed to appreciate all that we have and all that we are in Christ and focus on that and we get distracted, but somehow affliction and the fires of affliction served to sharpen our focus and attention upon Jesus Christ and the result of that is bubbling joy.

You must remember, I see some Christians going through terrible trials and they’re manifesting the joy of the Lord. I say, Lord I don’t know if I could manifest joy like that in their situation, but at the backup and say I could and he called me to go through it, if I was willing to submit to the spirit and have him produce in my life what he wants to produce.

Hebrews Chapter 10 verse 34; you showed sympathy to the prisoners, accepted joyfully the seizure of your property. We have some Christian who are having irregular heartbeats over inflation. Well here the Hebrews, their property had been stolen illegally, but didn’t cause them to be gloomy, didn’t cause them to be worry. Now they joyfully accepted the seizure of their property knowing. Note this, need knowledge; knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one, that’s key.

Their focal point is on what they had in Jesus Christ, what God had prepared for them, so the things in this life did not determine and control their thinking, their happiness. They had joy even when they lost their earthly possessions, why; they knew that they had something better prepared for them by God.

Many other verses, James Chapter 1, verse 2 tells us to rejoice in trials, Romans 5 talks about our joy in suffering, that emphasis that privilege that is ours. First Thessalonians 5:16 says be rejoicing always. Now two things to write down, we won’t take time to turn to it. Romans Chapter 5 verse 13 and Romans Chapter 12, verse 12l Romans 5:13 and Romans 12:12, tell us that joy centers in faith and joy centers in hope. It’s inseparably linked to faith in Jesus Christ and the hope that we have in him. So to have this joy that I’m talking about, the description that I’m talking about, you know number one must have your faith in Jesus Christ, be trusting him as the one who loved you and died for you, one who has paid the penalty for your sin.

Secondly your hope centers in him, that’s what we read about with the Hebrew, they knew they had a better possession. I have the anticipation and the expectation of seeing Jesus Christ face-to-face any day now. With that hope I am filled with joy. I should be discouraged about physical problems, I should be disheartened about monetary difficulties, I should be discouraged by the course of world events, I have my hope in Jesus Christ, not in world events. I have my hope in Jesus Christ, not in physical wellbeing. I have my hope in Jesus Christ, not in monetary security; and in light of that I have joy in every situation, and things are crumbling, praise God my joy is not dependent on crumbling things, it’s dependent on an internal relationship.

Now come back to Philippians 4; as you do you ought to jot down Galatians 5:22, because one of the fruits of the spirit is joy. The fruit of the spirit and included in the fruit of the spirit is joy. So this is not something that you conjure up, that’s crucial. It’s not the power of positive thinking, although we’ve seen in subsequent studies, our thinking affects our joy. But this is grown in the life of the believer as we are submissive to the spirit of God, that’s why I say a Sarkikos Christian is a contradiction in terms. What is Sarkikos Christian is a Carnal Christian, one who is not submissive to the spirit of God, because if you’re submissive to the spirit of God, the spirit of God would produce joy in the life; that’s the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is the result of the spirit controlling the life.

So such spirit in controlling my life, that’s the question; now don’t misunderstand me, I think there’s nothing wrong with tears for a believer. I believe there are times we have to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Even in the midst of the greatest sorrows, the greatest heartaches, the paradox, we as believers can know the joy of the Lord, that happiness that he brings, even though their great sorrows that we might be experiencing.

In Philippians 4, for emphasis, rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice, and you ought to take note of that expression, rejoice in the Lord. That ties we just commented about faith. It’s tied to having your faith in Jesus Christ and your hope in Jesus Christ. This is the sphere or the realm in which you operate. It is the realm one of the characteristics of which is joy. This expression in the Lord has been key in these opening verses.

In verse 1 he said, stand firm in the Lord. In verse 2, live in harmony in the Lord. Verse 4, rejoice in the Lord. You see in our relationship with Christ there are certain things that are to be true of us; one of them is our rejoicing. When I come to verse 5, he gives another command and it is related, and I take all of these commands, we’ll tie together. So we’ll see some overlap, but we’ll see a development, so we get a broader more complete picture.

He says; let your forbearing spirit be known to all men, the Lord is near. The context of having joy and rejoicing, you have a forbearing spirit. I talked a moment ago about how it is in our homes, when you do have joy and happiness that characterizes you, you can accept things that you won’t accept, when you’re down and depressed and discouraged. Now, this word forbearing, word translated forbearing spirit, broad word it’s a hard word to translate in English by any one word.

Let me read you a series of words that were given to express the English significance of this word translated forbearing; forbearance, yieldedness, geniality, kindliness, gentleness, sweet reasonableness, considerateness, charitableness, mildness, magnanimity, generosity, those are the words, all of which would be entailed in expressing what’s involved here. It’s a willingness to give up your personal rights and to show consideration and gentleness or kindness to other people, that’s the idea; a willingness to give up your personal rights and to show considerateness, kindness to others. So there’s two aspects of it; first that willingness to forego your personal rights and secondly that’s desired to show a considerate kind spirit to other people.

Now you can see how that affects the harmony, I don’t have to have my way; I am willing to forego my rights. So the issue to be determined here is not what is my right, the issue is am I showing a forbearing spirit. I don’t have to do it that way. There is no biblical principle that stake here, so I can forego my right and show you considerate kindness, gentleness. And you see that rules out in the idea of a divisiveness; a critical bitter spirit. A critical bitter spirit is a manifestation that I am upset that I did not get what I want, and I’m not showing considerateness to you, I’m not showing kindness to you, I’m bitter, because I didn’t get what I thought I deserve. That’s contrary to this characteristic and it’s a command, it’s not a recommendation, this forbearing spirit is to be manifest.

Just a few passages, it’s not used a lot of times in the New Testament. Look back in Second Corinthians Chapter 10. It’s used of Jesus Christ as you might expect, because what we’re talking about again is a manifestation of the character of Christ. That’s what God demands of us is not that we manifest God’s character, now that we are his children. And what are demand, is there anything that we ought to want more; Second Corinthians Chapter 10 verse 1, now I Paul myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ; that word gentleness, the word we have translated forbearing in Philippians 4. By the forbearance, the gentleness, the kindliness of Christ, I who am meek when face-to-face, but bold toward you when absent.

Jesus Christ was meek and gentle, forbearing, kind. Now Paul was saying I am beseeching you Corinthians by the spirit of Christ that you manifest that spirit. There’s divisions in the Church at Corinth, what’s that mean; different parties wanted their own way. They were taking into consideration others the gentleness and kindness that was to be manifested.

Turn back to the Book of James if you would, just after the Book of Hebrews, the Book of James; James Chapter 3 verse 17; sometimes think we ought to get our own way because we know best, now my ideas are best. But verse 17, verse 16; where jealousy and selfish ambitions exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. You see jealousy, selfish ambition lead to disorder, division and all kind of evil. But in verse 17, the wisdom from above, the wisdom that God gives, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle; there is our word gentle, forbearing, reasonable, full of mercy, good fruits unwavering without hypocrisy.

So you see the wisdom that God gives is gentle. I think while the only reason that I’ve got to have my way is I’ve got the most wisdom. I need to be careful I have God’s wisdom; the wisdom that God gives doesn’t have to have its own way. There is a sweet reasonableness about; a kindliness about, that wisdom takes into consideration others, and is willing to give up personal rights for others.

First Timothy 3, one other passage on this word when we go on. First Timothy Chapter 3; in the qualifications given here for an elder, which are the marks of spirituality that we are all to be desirous of having manifest in our lives; note in verse 3 and the context is crucial. Not addicted to wine or pugnacious but gentle. There is our word gentle, forbearing, uncontentious, free from the love of money.

Note how this word is boxed in, by the word pugnacious and the word contentious. So to be gentle means you’re not pugnacious, you’re not contentious; you’re not a person characterized by always looking for a battle, stirring conflicts that contention surrounds you. You know you have to be gentle, thoughtful, because a pugnacious person is a person who is constantly driving to have their own way. Contentious person’s always looking to have their things accomplished, contrary to the character of Christ.

Come back to Philippians 4. This quality then of a forbearing spirit is an essential ingredient both in personal happiness and joy, and in the harmonious functioning of the body. Without this quality of life you will not have the joy of the Lord expressed in your life, and it will affect the harmony and the unity of the body. Note one other thing about this, your forbearing spirit is to be known to all men; known to all men. How do people see you where you work, where you shop, what is your attitude toward them, how do you treat them, how do you treat the person who serves your table, what do the people think of you that work for you, did they see this quality of life, can you see this quality of life is to be known to all men. It’s crucial to our testimony. So not only part of the body, but in our testimony broadly. We are to manifest this character of life, and the motivation given at the end of verse 5, the Lord is near. Now interesting that that’s given as a motivation to obey this command, the Lord is near.

Up in verses 20 and 21 of Chapter 3, talked about our citizenship is in heaven from which we eagerly are waiting a Savior Jesus Christ the Lord, who will transform these bodies and bring them into conformity with his heavenly body. We are looking forward to the coming of Christ, and Paul writes, the Lord is near. I think that means that he may be coming at any time, and that’s the control how I live. I believe the Lord is near, I believe he may be coming today. I would not be surprised if he did come today. And so that affects how I live, because Christ is coming and he, and he alone is the judge of all men.

And we as believers and we talked about earlier when we were studying Philippians will appear at the Bema Seat and be judged by Christ for our service to him. I need to be more concerned about his evaluation of me than I do about evaluating you. Most of the complaints come from people criticizing other people in the body. Well Jesus Christ is near, he is capable of judging you, he is capable of judging me and he will that helps me with my forbearing spirit; to be understanding to not push for my own way, to take you into consideration.

Look at one passage with me if you would on this subject; James Chapter 5, the context here of patience. In verse 7 he says in James 5, be patient therefore brethren until the coming of the Lord; down to verse 8, you too be patient strengthening your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Note where he goes on in this context, you too be patient, do not complain brethren against one another that you yourselves may not be judged, behold the judge is standing right at the door.

You note in the context of patience, he’s talking about the way we relate to one another as brethren and believers. Don’t complain against one another; why, because Jesus Christ the judge is near, he is right at the door just like he was standing there and all that he has to do is swing the door open and he’ll be here. And he’ll be here to exercise judgment, he is the righteous judge and he is the one standing right at the door that’s to affect our complaining against one another; the fact that Jesus Christ is going to walk through the door at any time and he is going to judge you, and he is going to judge me.

Now that affects my attitude in complaining about you, because if I’m complaining about you, Jesus Christ walks through the door, the first question is; who appointed you his judge. He’s my servant, not yours; he is responsible to me, not you. Now realize there is a biblical order to be carried out, responsibilities in that realm and guidelines in the Scripture. Talking about here the way we complained about one another, the way we criticize one another, the way we tear down one another, we’ve talked in church in the Letter to the Philippians. It should be an attitude been and we lived in light of this verse, we say, oh yes, the Lord is near I can’t wait till he comes, how does that affect your attitude and your comments.

Have you complained about other Christians this week, what if you had to say about other believers, you say, I haven’t said anything, I just ignore them. Now we go from one unbiblical attitude to another you haven’t resolved anything. We need to be careful about complaining about one another. So I said, well, I don’t mean to complain, but well if you don’t mean to complain, don’t complain. No, I don’t mean to complain, but and I realize there are signs and we call them complaints, but there are proper observations if you will, they are given with the right spirit.

We see something that needs corrected, that needs to be dealt with, the Bible says that. Things are not being done as they should. Well with a healthy attitude, a biblical attitude, I want to become involved in correcting that, that’s different than complaining; and the way that’s being condemned where we are tearing down someone. All we are doing is pointing out their flaws; we are not asking God to use us in correcting it. We’re complaining about what doesn’t go on at the church instead of being open to the Lord to use us to get it done. If he has given you such great insight and how it ought to be done, step forward and do it. Well you won’t let me preach, well there are some things, but you get the idea.

Back to Philippians 4, simple isn’t it, but so basic. God has provided for us in ways in depths that we fail to appreciate. The salvation we have, I am not only privileged to have his joy all the time; I am responsible to having manifest his joy all the time. And he should have to give me a command to that end. Think, oh I want joy all the time. Again we have talked about not that flying -- and it doesn’t mean there’s never any sorrow, never any sad, but it means in that the joy that Christ gives is my possession, because it is based solely on my relationship to him, and the promises he has given me and not to anything else. And for the full realization of this had to be obeying the command as well to have a forbearing spirit, a gentle spirit, not be concerned about getting my own way, not concerned about it didn’t go the way I wanted if the decision wasn’t what I would have chosen, rather a concern for the health and wellbeing of fellow-believers. That is something we won’t disagree; that we won’t express our disagreements.

We just need to be careful that we are doing it in a way that is to build up one another, and my concern is in it is to help you develop to maturity, for you to help me develop to maturity, because none of us have arrived yet but praise God we are on the way. One question, is this your portion, do you have the joy of the Lord that characterizes your life, if not why not. There’s only two reasons; one you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, who gives and provides the joy. You can have that by believing in him as the one who loved you and died for you, there is no other place you can have joy like this.

Second if you have believed in him or you’re allowing the spirit to have his way in your life, this is what he produces. You say all I know him a believer, but boy I don’t have joy, does the spirit control your life; when he does it grow this fruits. You have this kind of spirit, the spirit of Christ, this your attitude in dealing with one another, so we submit to him, he’ll produce it, the result will be what; a body that is expressing joy and is being used with God to develop one another to maturity.

Paul is going to go on and develop more details in dealing with anxieties, in realizing peace in the way that our minds are to be thinking and focusing on, and what we are to be doing as believers, all these things tied together and you don’t have the complete picture until you have them all brought together. So you have the peace here, joy, you have another peace here, the forbearing spirit, you have another here and another here, when it done it develops us to be the people God wants us to be spiritually, turns our emotional and our mental wellbeing.

Let’s pray together. Father we praise you today for such salvation, Lord that enables us to be a people that manifest the character of our savior Jesus Christ. Lord, our desire is that the beauty of his character to be seen clearly in each one of us personally, and as a result of that in our relationships with one another as a body. Lord, thank you for the privilege of having your joy; may that characterize us as we submit to your spirit.

Lord, the forbearing spirits of Christ as well, so easy for us to become small and petty, forget that we are at best unprofitable servants. Lord, may we serve well and faithfully realizing that the Lord is near and it is to him that we will give an account. Thank you for our time together this morning. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.